Emily Louise Perkins
by cjh4ever
Summary: After Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang the Torchwood team is trying to adjust to Jack's return. The case of a small child infected by an alien raises difficult issues and unsettles each team member.Some Jack and Ianto.
1. Chapter 1

_After Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang the Torchwood team is trying to adjust to Jack's return. The case of a small child infected by an alien raises difficult issues and unsettles each team member. _

* * *

**Emily Louise Perkins **

Chapter 1

Jack found it strange to be sitting in the new Boardroom. It was a great space and it had been well designed and built but he didn't feel at home here. He missed the old room with its glass walls and great view over the Hub. It was another of the things that had changed in the time he had been with The Doctor.

He looked at his team, seated round the table with him; they had all changed in his absence, working together and helping one another as they never had before. Owen and Toshiko were more independent, not needing the guidance and support he had previously provided, while Gwen, who had led the team for months, was more confident as a result and challenged his authority at every turn. And Ianto had toughened up and was distant with Jack, not renewing the easy familiarity they had established before he, Jack, had left. It had been clear that their physical relationship would not be resumed yet awhile either though there was some hope; Ianto had accepted the offer of a date. Perhaps these changed relationships were why Jack currently felt ill at ease; it wasn't the room but the people. He tuned back into the daily briefing meeting.

"The upgrade will take several hours and so I plan to run it tomorrow night. I'll set up a stand-alone PC to maintain security and monitor the Rift but other than that there'll be no computer access until the update is done," said Toshiko.

"What about medical access?" put in Owen. "If there's an emergency I'll need to run tests and analyse samples."

"I'll set up a few on the stand-alone – tell me which ones you want - but there won't be any access to the medical database."

"Could restrict what I can do," pointed out Owen, looking at Jack.

"This upgrade is needed and we have to accept some inconvenience," said Jack. "Go ahead as planned, Tosh." He turned his attention to Gwen. "What are you up to, Gwen?"

"Still tidying up after the Blowfish. The paramedic that treated the guy who was shot is shouting his mouth off so I'm going to see him this morning. I'll try persuasion but take the Retcon with me in case." She smiled grimly, not liking to use the drug if she could avoid it.

"Good. Owen?" Jack looked at the medic who was, as usual, slouched in his seat.

"Whitchurch Hospital called; Dr Hughes. She's got a case she wants me to look at. Some kid that she reckons is mutating! Probably a load of bollocks but I said I'd check it out."

"Gwen, as you'll be at the hospital anyway, go with him. Check with the parents just in case it is something we should be involved with." Jack saw her nod reluctantly; she really did not like taking orders from him, that was crystal clear. "Right, Ianto. Anything from you?" He smiled at the boy encouragingly.

"Two things. We have a lot of guests in the cells at the moment and I could do with a hand looking after them." Everyone but Jack looked at their hands and avoided eye contact with Ianto; feeding and cleaning out the Weevils was a smelly and messy job and no one liked doing it. "Second, you all agreed that we'd recycle as much waste as possible yet I still find drinks cans and bottles in ordinary waste. Either you separate out the recyclables or we stop."

"I didn't know we were recycling," said Jack; something else that had changed in his absence. "Let me know where it should go and I'll put mine there. Rest of you, do the same. There's more than one way of saving the planet. Now, who's going to volunteer for Weevil duties?" he asked.

There was a distinct lack of interest. "I would, Ianto," said Toshiko, "but I'm really up against it if I'm going to be ready for the upgrade. I'll help once that's done."

"I don't know how long this hospital thing's going to take," said Owen, deciding to make it last as long as possible.

"Same for me," said Gwen, "but we'll both help when we get back. Won't we, Owen?" She fixed him with a stare that he could not meet.

"Yeah, all right," he muttered. He would definitely be at the hospital all day now.

"I could help," offered Jack. "I'm only catching up on paperwork and that can wait an hour or two." Ianto nodded and avoided looking at his boss; he'd have preferred anyone to him. "Right, anything else anyone?" When no one raised any other issues he continued, "Okay, let's get back to work."

Toshiko left quickly, keen to get back to her desk, and Owen and Gwen followed at a more leisurely pace, discussing whose vehicle to take to the hospital. Ianto gathered up the coffee mugs and Jack stayed back to talk him.

"When do you need me to help with the inmates?" he asked, hands in his pockets. He was running an appreciatively eye over the boy's arse as he stretched across the table; no doubt about it, he looked good. Jack moved closer, unable to resist the temptation.

"In about an hour," said Ianto, straightening up. He suddenly realised how close Jack was – he could feel his body heat – and took a step away. Three months' unexplained absence and John Hart still separated them. Ianto was pleased Jack was back with them but he didn't trust him not to disappear again and was unwilling to let him too close – physically or emotionally.

"Okay, come and get me when you're ready." Jack maintained his smile as he walked out of the room but it faded as soon as he was out of sight of Ianto. What did he need to do to win back the boy? He started to wonder if anything would. The only bright spot was the date Ianto had agreed to and Jack smiled suddenly; he'd better start planning that and soon.

-ooOoo-

Whitchurch Hospital was busy as Owen and Gwen waited at reception for Doctor Hughes. Patients and visitors as well as staff were streaming through the space between the doors and lifts. A few stopped at the shops to buy flowers, snacks and magazines while others waited in seats off to one side. The Torchwood pair had been waiting ten minutes and Gwen was getting impatient. She could have gone to see the paramedic and joined Owen later but he had persuaded her to come with him, confident in his ability to diagnose the case quickly. Just when Gwen was about to leave, Laura Hughes appeared.

"Owen, thanks for coming." She was in the mid- to late-forties with a trim figure and short dark hair. Owen had worked with her before and respected her; she was an excellent paediatrician.

"Laura, hi. This is Gwen Cooper, works with me." He watched as Laura Hughes shook Gwen's hand. "What's the problem?"

"It's the strangest case I've ever come across," said the doctor, leading them to the lifts. The lift doors opened and they entered; Dr Hughes pressed the button for the fifth floor. "Emily Louise Perkins is three years old. She presented three days ago with severe swelling and bruising to her neck which the GP thought might be suspicious although there's no history of abuse. She was admitted yesterday evening when the swelling didn't reduce after treatment, if anything it's got worse."

"You said something about mutation?" queried Owen. He was well aware that any child with the sort of condition described was immediately monitored as a precaution against it being the result of ill treatment.

"Yes. Overnight the swelling has taken on a scaly texture. I've never seen anything like it and thought of you." She had worked with Owen before, when a baby had been born to a woman impregnated by an alien, and had been impressed by his expertise and knowledge. Her early scepticism about all things alien had disappeared and Owen had decided not to Retcon her, trusting her to keep quiet voluntarily. He could always do with friends at the hospital.

They had arrived at their floor and exited to the usual scene of quiet efficiency as nurses and doctors went about their duties. Turning left, they made for the few private rooms reserved for the most severe cases and a scream suddenly rent the air. It appeared to be coming from close by and Dr Hughes started running towards it, followed by Owen and Gwen. A nurse came out of a room just ahead of them and spotted Dr Hughes.

"Doctor, thank goodness you're here! It's Emily Perkins' mother." She held open the door to the private room and the scream got louder. Gwen wondered how any human could make that noise and, more amazingly, not have to stop to draw breath.

Owen took in the situation as soon as he was inside the room. He'd had years of experience with hysterical relatives and this one was far gone. He walked up to the screaming woman, turned her to face him and slapped her hard across the face. The scream stopped suddenly and the silence was almost as loud as the screaming had been. He pushed the woman towards Gwen. "Take her outside, calm her down," he ordered.

Dr Hughes was bustling a man out of the room at the same time. "Father," she mouthed to Gwen behind his back as she shut the door behind him. She spoke to the nurse, who was newly qualified, about letting the parents in when she had forbidden it. Then she joined Owen who was looking down at the patient.

The child lay unmoving, either asleep or unconscious. Considering the recent noise level, Owen opted for the latter. She was a pretty child with long, blonde hair and was about the normal size for a three-year old. While Owen automatically noted all this, his eye was drawn to the hideous swelling on the right of the child's neck and the bruising that surrounded it. The swelling was bulbous, about the size of a tennis ball, and grey. Suddenly there was a movement under the surface of the skin, which did have a scaly texture, and the swelling bulged out a centimetre or so before returning to its previous size.

"It's not done that before," said Laura Hughes, watching in dread fascination.

"You got x-rays, body scans?" asked Owen. He pulled on surgical gloves taken from the box on the side and gently put a hand on the swelling. It was soft to the touch but when he pressed he could feel a definite hardness within.

"These are the results," said Dr Hughes, handing him a folder. She went back to the child, checking the chart for any changes.

Owen moved to the window and looked through the folder. All the scans showed a fleshy growth; normal tissue growing abnormally. But normal tissue did not have a scaly texture or move in that way. "This is weird," he commented, closing the folder.

"Your kind of weird?" Dr Hughes asked. She was not sure whether she wanted it to be or not. If it was she would lose the responsibility for a case she couldn't treat which would be both a relief and an admission of failure. And Laura Hughes didn't like being beaten.

"I think it may be. I need to take a tissue sample. Can we do a biopsy here?"

"I can set that up." Dr Hughes turned to the nurse who was hovering at the foot of the bed. "Nurse Chambers, get a biopsy kit and prep Emily." The nurse nodded and left the room.

"I'm going to talk to Gwen," said Owen. In the corridor, Gwen was sitting on some hard plastic chairs beside the child's parents. The mother was quiet and stony-faced, the father was weeping silently. Owen gestured for Gwen for join him and she was more than happy to do so.

"What is it, Owen?" she asked.

"Not sure but it looks like its alien. We're going to do a biopsy, see what that tells us. How are the parents holding up?

"They're in shock, don't really know what to think. The mother's the dominant one, whatever she says goes. If you need to speak to them, I've told them you're a specialist who's been called in for a second opinion." Gwen was watching Owen, always amazed at the transformation of the caustic, foul-mouthed man into a professional physician who exuded authority.

"I will speak to them. When I've done that, see if you can find out how the kid might have got this way. There has to have been some contact – a bite maybe – to result in this."

"Okay." The two walked over to join the parents who both stood up.

"Doctor, do you know what it is?" asked the woman. Her face betrayed no emotion and if Owen had not heard her screaming before he would have doubted she had any to show.

"Not yet, Mrs Perkins. We're going to do a biopsy, take a piece of tissue and analyse it. That should give us more idea of what this is." He tried to smile reassuringly. The worst part of being a doctor, for him, was dealing with relatives.

"How long will that take?" asked the woman. Gwen noticed that Mrs Perkins did not sound concerned about her daughter, more about the amount of time she would have to stay at the hospital; she was distancing herself from a child she was convinced she would soon lose.

"A couple of hours, all told. If you wanted to go and get a cup of tea or …"

"Yes, we will. Come on, Simon." The woman picked up her handbag and ignoring her still weeping husband walked off towards the lifts.

Simon Perkins looked at Owen. "Please do everything you can for her, for little Emily. Please."

"I will." Owen gave him a rough pat on the arm and watched as the man shambled down the corridor after his wife. "What a pair," he commented.

"Everyone responds differently in a crisis," said Gwen. "Look, I'll go and find that paramedic, he's in the hospital apparently, and then I'll catch up with the Perkinses. Call me if you need anything." She strode away.

Owen stood irresolute for a moment. Then he thumbed opened his comms, glad it worked on a wavelength that did not affect critical medical equipment. "Jack?"

"_Owen, what d'you need?_" Jack was in his office and saw Ianto heading his way; time to go to the vaults with him. It took some effort to concentrate on Owen's voice.

"This kid, I think it's may be one for us. She's got something either growing inside her or changing her. I'm doing a biopsy here but may need to bring her to the Hub after that."

"_What about relatives?" _

"I don't think they'll be a problem. "

"_Okay, keep me informed and contact me again if you do want to bring the kid in." _Jack smiled at Ianto as he came into the office.

"Will do." Owen broke the connection and returned to Emily Louise Perkins's bedside.

-ooOoo-

Gwen walked along the hospital corridors. She had met the paramedic and realised he was a loud-mouth who loved being thought to be 'in the know'. He was never going to keep quiet so she had administered the Retcon, level two, without any remorse. He was now sleeping – luckily it was the end of his shift – and would have forgotten everything when he woke.

The restaurant was in sight and Gwen stopped just inside the door. She pretended to make a call on her mobile, watching Mr and Mrs Perkins who were sitting at a table with drinks in front of them; she was sipping her drink while he sat with head bowed looking down at the table. Gwen had met people like them before. She understood the father better; he was upset and distraught at what was happening to his daughter. The mother was less sympathetic; making herself unemotional in the face of what she saw as certain loss. There was little doubt that she would allow the child to be taken by Torchwood, if that was what Owen advised and Jack agreed.

Gwen's expression hardened. Only last week they would have made the decision together; there had been no Jack to refer or defer to, just the four of them, working together to keep Cardiff safe. And they had done well, supporting one another far more than they had before. She and Owen had ensured that Toshiko and especially Ianto had been included in all decisions and taken along to the pub at least once a week. It was only due to her leadership that Jack had a team to come back to and it galled Gwen that she was now expected to roll over and let him take the lead again. Despite his attempts to fit in with the new dynamics of the team, and his little speech about dying lots of time, she was not going to make it easy for him. He hadn't earned the right.

Deciding she could not stall any longer, she closed her mobile and walked to the table where Mr and Mrs Perkins were sitting. The father raised his head immediately and looked at her hopefully.

"Any news?" he asked quickly.

"No, nothing yet. I wanted to ask you a few questions, if that's all right?" She settled into the familiar routine of reassurance while at the same time extracting information.

"Of course," he replied, the light leaving his eyes and his shoulders slumping.

"When did Emily get sick?"

It was Mrs Perkins who replied, her voice controlled and clear. "Three days ago she woke saying she had a pain in her neck. We took her to the doctor that evening, when the swelling started to come up, and he gave her some pills .."

"Anti-inflammatories," supplied Mr Perkins.

"I suppose. Anyway, when it was worse the next day we called the doctor out and he said that it didn't respond within 24 hours Emily would have to be admitted to hospital. She didn't so she came here last night." She stared at Gwen, outwardly unaffected by her daughter's condition.

"Any idea what caused the swelling? I mean, was she bitten by something? Ate something new?" Gwen tried to be as general as possible, not wanting to lead them in any particular direction. The mother shook her head and looked away.

"Our GP and the hospital doctor asked us that and there's nothing we can think of. Emily was just as always the day before," said Mr Perkins.

"What did she do that day?"

"Oh, same as usual. I look after her; Carol," he nodded at his wife, "is the breadwinner. Emily and I were at home in the morning, she was playing and helping me while I did the housework, and then in the afternoon we went to the park. Then tea and bed."

"Did you meet anyone, in the park perhaps?" Gwen pressed.

"There were the usual children with their mums. I chat to them while Emily plays." He frowned and paused. "She did say something about a friend in the sandpit but I didn't pay much attention. One of the other children, Darren, fell and I was helping pick him up and sort him out."

"A friend? What kind of friend?"

"I don't recall what she said, not exactly, but thinking back I don't think she meant one of the other children. She didn't use a name." He looked hopeful once more. "Do you think that could be anything to do with this?"

"I don't know but we'll check it out." She took down the details of the particular park Emily had visited and the location of the playground. "I don't suppose any of the other children who play there have been affected?"

"Not that I know of but then I haven't been back since Emily's been ill."

"Okay, thanks, we'll follow up on that." She used her comms to contact Owen. "Any progress?" she asked once he had answered.

"_We're just about done. I need to go back to base, do the analysis then we'll know what we're dealing with. Where are you?" _

"With Mr and Mrs Perkins. Can they come back up?" Gwen noticed Mr Perkins' hopeful glance and smiled slightly.

"_Yeah, no reason why not. You get anything from them?"_

"Maybe. We'll see you shortly." She cut the connection and turned to the girl's parents. "They've finished doing the biopsy so you can go back to see Emily."

"Did they find anything?" asked Mr Perkins immediately.

"They need to do the analysis first."

* * *

_Next time, the team find out what they're up against ..._


	2. Chapter 2

_Things start to go wrong for the team …_

* * *

**Emily Louise Perkins **

Chapter 2

Owen strode into the Hub carrying the tissue sample in a sterile container. During his years in medicine he had developed a feeling for these things and all his instincts were telling him that Emily Louise Perkins was in trouble. He shook off his leather jacket and draped it over the back of his chair.

Jack had seen and heard him arrive and emerged from his office. "Well?"

"Got to analyse this," he held up the container, "but I'm pretty sure it's alien."

"Any idea what it might be?" Jack walked with Owen to the Medical Bay and stood leaning on the rail as the doctor put on his lab coat and set up some equipment.

"No, never seen it before. The kid's got a swelling on her neck. Feels soft with something hard inside and it moves." He looked over at Jack, his expression serious which was a sure sign that he was troubled. "The skin round the swelling is bruised and there are greyish scales as well. Familiar?"

Jack shook his hand, "Not offhand. Sounds like something may be incubating inside her."

"That's what I thought. Damned shame, she's a pretty kid." Owen pulled on surgical gloves and grabbed the container.

Leaving him to it, Jack turned away then stopped and asked, "Where's Gwen?"

"Building sand castles."

-ooOoo-

The park was typical of the area, run down and in need of care and attention, lots of it. Graffiti was sprayed on the brick gardeners' shed and there were traces on the playground equipment despite attempts to remove it. Gwen had never understood people's need to deface property. When her teenaged mates had seen it as a hoot to spray paint over everything, she had thought about the people who had to live with the results and tried to prevent it. That had earned her a reputation as a killjoy but she hadn't cared. In part, such mindless acts of vandalism were what had led her to join the police.

The playground where Emily Perkins had last played comprised swings, a climbing frame, a sandpit and a low roundabout all on the special surface that cushioned falls. A waist high wooden fence surrounded it, broken in places and covered with the inevitable graffiti. Gwen pushed open the gate which squeaked alarmingly and walked in. A few children and their parents or carers were around but not many. It was lunch time, not a popular time of day to visit the park. Spotting a young mother on a bench, Gwen crossed and sat next to her.

"Hello, I wonder if you can help me? I'm with the Council and we're looking into playground safety. Do you use these facilities often?" After a year with Torchwood, Gwen had got used to lying to get information.

"Most days, I suppose. Only got a tiny scrap of garden and Timmy loves the swings." The woman looked across at a boy of about four years old, a real tearaway. "This about Darren, is it?"

Gwen thought swiftly. "I'm not allowed to say. This Darren had an accident, did he?"

The woman looked at her more suspiciously. "The Council, that who you're with?" she asked.

"Yes." Gwen drew out a laminated card with her photograph; Tosh had made her a matching set covering every occupation going shortly after she had joined Torchwood. "Look, I know I'm not supposed to say, but it's a little girl called Emily, Emily Perkins that's brought me here. She's in hospital and there's some suggestion it may be because of this playground."

"I know Emily," said the woman, handing back the card. Seeing that had reassured her and she was happy to talk; amazing what trust people placed in a card anyone could make. "In hospital, you say? Poor kid. Comes down here most days, with her dad. Now he's nice, looks after her so well."

"She was here three days ago. Did you see her?"

"Let me think, that was Monday? Yeah, we were here. It was the same day Darren had his accident. Fell off the roundabout. Now that needs looking at. I won't let my Timmy go on it, the older ones make it go much too fast." She looked across at her son, checking he was okay, then continued. "But Emily seemed all right. I walked back with her and Simon, we live the same way."

"Apparently she was in the sandpit."

"Loves that sandpit, does Emily. Makes a beeline for it soon as she gets here. She's a quiet girl, I suppose that's why. Some of the other kids can be a bit pushy. Me, I don't like it. Always gives me the creeps."

"Thanks very much for your help," said Gwen, standing up. She would not get much more from this woman. "I'll take a look at the roundabout as well as the sandpit, while I'm here." She smiled and moved off.

As no one was using the roundabout, Gwen went to that first and looked around it as if making an inspection. There was no point in blowing her cover. When she thought she'd spent enough time on that, she walked to the sandpit. It was a grotty space that looked far from inviting. It was about a metre square with raised edges of the same cushioned material as was on the ground. The sand looked dirty and hadn't been raked in a while; there were bits of rubbish in it too. With her back to prying eyes, she took out her PDA and scanned the area. To her great surprise there was an instant response.

Something alien was in the sandpit.

-ooOoo-

The SUV drove over the grass and pulled up near the two police cars close to the playground. Jack and Toshiko emerged and looked around at the area which had been cordoned off with blue and white crime scene tape. The children and adults had been moved off and for the most part had gone home, only one or two had lingered to discuss the events and watch developments. The Torchwood pair walked over to Gwen who was talking to PC Andy Davidson.

"Gwen, what have you got?" Jack asked, ignoring the policeman.

"Sorry, Andy," she said and led Jack and Toshiko over to the sandpit. "This is where Emily Perkins was playing the afternoon before she got ill. Her father said she mentioned 'a friend' but didn't give a name. My scan showed this." She held out the PDA and Jack took it, looking over the results.

"That's pretty definite," he commented.

As they were speaking, Toshiko was making her own scan of the area with her more sensitive equipment. She circled the sandpit, scanning from all angles and the readings were alarming. Returning to the others she said, "Definite life in there. According to this it's a Javockolia."

"Shit," cursed Jack under his breath. "How big?"

"Hard to tell precisely, about 0.563 metres."

Jack smiled, "That's precise enough for me. Okay, we're going to need nets and ammonia, lots of ammonia." He opened his comms. "Ianto, you there?"

"_Yes, sir." _Ianto's calm, Welsh tones came through loud and clear.

"We need the ammonia supplies in tunnel four, sprayers and the big net. Bring it here, _tout de suite_."

"_On my way." _

"Hold on," protested Gwen. "What's a Jaber .. whatever?" She stood facing Jack, arms crossed.

"A Javockolia is a lizard-like creature," explained Toshiko. "They burrow into soft soil or, in this case sand, and lay their eggs in any living flesh that comes their way. The egg incubates and bursts out of the host, killing it."

"Like John Hurt in _Alien_?"

"Um, bit like that."

"We need to get these people moved back," said Jack, looking at the spectators. "And get the police out of the way."

"I'll talk to Andy," offered Gwen.

Forty minutes later Ianto had arrived and he and Jack unloaded the supplies from the boot of his car. Gwen had worked with the police to erect temporary screens round the playground and to move the people further away. As Jack and Ianto, with Toshiko's help, set up the equipment round the sandpit, Gwen walked over to Andy Davidson.

"You're going to have to move back too," she said apologetically, wondering how many more times she'd have to apologise to the man.

"What is it then?" he asked. "Mulder found something in the sandpit, has he?"

"I can't say, Andy, you know that. Look, don't make this harder."

"All right, I know when I'm not wanted." He went off to join his colleagues fifty metres away, his whole body sulking. It was always like this, he was sent away like a schoolboy to wait while all the interesting stuff went on without him. Andy Davidson didn't believe in aliens but there had been some weird happenings over the years that were hard to explain. Despite his outward scepticism he secretly longed to believe; he just needed proof.

-ooOoo-

The results were what Owen had expected, Emily was incubating an alien. According to the database it was a Javockolia, a creature he hadn't encountered himself. Torchwood had last come across one in the 1950s when it had killed four civilians and one operative before being destroyed. He was at his desk, about to access the more detailed records, when his mobile rang.

"Harper."

"_Owen, it's Laura Hughes. Any news?" _The doctor treating Emily sounded anxious.

"Just got the results. It's not good, Laura."

"_Alien?"_

"Yep. I need to check with my boss but we're going have to take over, move Emily out of the hospital." There was silence for a while.

"_If you think that's best. The parents are still here, what do I tell them?" _

Owen thought quickly. "Hold fire for a bit. I should be able to get back to you within the hour."

"_Should I prepare them? For the worst?" _Dr Hughes was not a fool and she recognised Owen's tone of voice; there was little hope for Emily.

"Don't go that far but don't raise their hopes."

"_Okay. I'll wait to hear from you." _

Owen ended the call and looked at his mobile before throwing it onto the desk in front of him. This wasn't why he had trained for all those years. He wanted to save lives not watch over people dying, especially kids. Kids were worse than all the rest. He remembered his rotation on paediatrics with a shudder, seeing small bodies rent with pain and disease. So many of those who lived had a poor quality of life for years afterwards, draining their families' energy and love. Torchwood was supposed to have taken him away from all that and yet here it was again.

Behind him, the alarms sounded and the cog door rolled open. The rest of the team trooped in along with a distinct smell of ammonia. Jack was supporting Toshiko who looked pale, Gwen was carrying pizza and Ianto had a couple of equipment boxes. Jack settled Toshiko on the sofa.

"Owen, take a look at Tosh. She inhaled some the ammonia fumes and passed out for a second or two." Jack was taking off his greatcoat and walking to his office. "And Gwen and Ianto have minor burns." He hung up his coat and returned to the work area.

The pizza boxes were on Owen's desk and Gwen had already taken a slice of one before slumping into Owen's now vacant chair. Jack also grabbed a slice; it was after two o'clock and he was hungry. In the corner, Ianto was making coffee.

"How did this happen?" asked Owen, checking Toshiko.

"The Jabberwocky thing," began Gwen. "It was bloody fast and sprayed the ammonia around. But we got it in the end." She could still see the carcass as it fizzled into nothingness, the chemical eating into its skin, flesh, organs and bones. As a reminder, the burn on her hand stung.

"It's dead?"

"Uh huh, thank God." Gwen took another bite of pizza.

"You sound disappointed," said Ianto to Owen, handing round mugs of coffee. He took some pizza and stood by Toshiko's desk, making sure to keep his distance from Jack. During their time cleaning up the Weevils, he had agreed to go out with his boss the following day, on a date. He was having second thoughts.

"You'll be fine, Tosh, no lasting effects. Just don't rush around for a while." Owen patted her hand, rose and took a slice of pizza. "Yeah, I'm pretty gutted. The kid is incubating one and seeing a live adult would have helped decide what to do about it."

"It's definite?" queried Jack, sipping his coffee. Owen nodded, mouth too full to speak. "Then we have to terminate her, it's the only way to kill the creature growing inside her."

There was a moment's stunned silence as they took this in. Jack's tone was one they remembered from numerous other occasions when he had made similar pronouncements. A no-nonsense, categorical statement that took no account of the people involved, of their feelings. Gwen stared at him. She had seen the child, briefly, a small blonde girl with all her life before her. And now Jack was saying she had no future, that they had to kill her.

"No way, Jack! We're not killing her! She's not going the same way as Jasmine!" Gwen shouted, standing and facing Jack with the confrontational stance he was coming to know so well. "And if you don't like it, too bad! Owen," she said more quietly, "what can we do?"

The doctor looked from one to the other, feeling the stillness of Toshiko and Ianto beside him. "I'm not sure it'll work but I think I can remove it," he said. "I'd like to try."

"Then that's what we'll do," announced Gwen, facing Jack again. "Anything to say?"

Jack looked at his team. Gwen was adamant, Owen apologetic but supporting her while Ianto and Toshiko were looking around, reluctant to meet his eyes. The challenge had been thrown down and he had to decide what to do, whether to override them – possible – or let them go ahead and risk the consequences. His gaze rested on Ianto and saw the boy's discomfort, being pulled between loyalty to his team mates who had seen him through the past three months and loyalty to him, the boss – lover? – who had abandoned him without a word. If Jack overrode their objections he'd never win back Ianto's affections.

"I won't stop you but think hard before you go down this road. If you want me, you know where I am." He turned on his heel and went into his office, closing the door behind him. They needed to find out for themselves that he did indeed know more than them and that they could trust him. The person he felt sorry for was Emily Louise Perkins who would now suffer even more before she died.

-ooOoo-

Getting the parents' consent to remove Emily from the hospital was even easier than Gwen had expected. The father was so sunk in misery that he made no objections when his wife signed the forms after Gwen had spun a tale about the need for isolation. Carol Perkins had not enquired where they were taking her daughter. She had taken one last look at the little girl and then left the hospital room. Her husband had followed, head down and almost catatonic. It was the last sight Gwen had of them and she gave it no more than a passing thought. If she had known what would happen, perhaps she would have done.

Truth was, Gwen was buoyed up by her success in besting Jack. When he had retreated to his office she had exulted inwardly; he was no match for her when it came to leading these people. She was the one who had pulled them together once and they knew it. They were following her, not him. All that to do with John Hart had been an aberration, a blip as they fell back into the old ways, almost like a default setting on a computer. Now it was different. Now she was in charge. She had got them moving immediately to help this child, acting before they had time to change their allegiance and overriding their feeble concerns.

"We're ready to go," said Owen from the bedside. He and Dr Hughes had prepared Emily for transport. She was unconscious again, apparently she slipped in and out, and slumped in a wheelchair under a blanket.

"Okay." Gwen held open the door and followed as they went to the lift and down to the basement level where the SUV was parked. She stepped back as Owen carefully laid the girl on the back seat and climbed in beside her.

"You'll keep in touch?" said Laura Hughes from the still open door. Being defeated by a case did not sit well with her but she had a dozen other seriously ill children that she knew how to treat. They had to be her priority.

"I'll let you know how it goes," Owen promised. Dr Hughes nodded and closed the door, standing back as Gwen started the engine and drove off.

-ooOoo-

In the Hub, Ianto was preparing the Medical Bay as instructed by Owen. The instruments found in any NHS hospital were laid out alongside those that would never be seen let alone dreamt of by other doctors. Ianto checked his list once more and nodded; it was all there. Back in the work area, he picked up the empty pizza boxes and other rubbish and took them to the bin. Next, he collected the coffee mugs abandoned by Owen and Gwen. "Tosh, finished with the mug?" he asked.

"Yeah, thanks." Toshiko smiled up at him from her desk. She still looked a bit paler than normal but she'd been working for the past hour. The deadline for the computer upgrade didn't give her much time to recover from her faint. She glanced across at Jack, sitting at his desk where he had stayed since the revolt. "Do you think Gwen's right?" she said finally.

"I don't know," he said softly, "but surely it's better to try."

"I hope so or all this aggro is for nothing." She turned back to her screens and lost herself in the safe world of mathematics and computing.

Jack looked up and smiled slightly when Ianto entered his office. He knew what he had come for and handed him the mug without being asked. "We still okay for tomorrow?"

Ianto nodded, "Yes."

He hesitated but couldn't think what else to say that would make matters any better so turned and left. Washing the mugs he stopped for a moment as memories of the team's earlier revolt against Jack came back to him. They had refused to listen to him then and opened the Rift with all the terrible consequences. Now, Jack had been back a few days and they were doing it again. Impulsively, he wiped his hands and went back to Jack's office.

"Ianto?" said Jack looking up again as the boy walked urgently into his office, washing up cloth in his hand.

"This isn't like before, not for me anyway."

Jack stood, sensing Ianto was trying to tell him something important though he wasn't sure what exactly. "Sorry, Ianto. Before?"

"When we opened the Rift. That was different. I just think we ought to try to save the child, it's wrong to give up on her."

"I understand." Jack moved closer, wanting to reach out a hand and touch Ianto but resisting. The rebellion over the Rift was long forgotten by Jack, replaced by a year of torment and pain with which he was still trying to come to terms. "No matter how skilled Owen is, the child will die, one way or the other," he said gently, regretfully.

"We've got to try," persisted Ianto.

"Just don't get your hopes up, Ianto. I'd like you to be right but …" He let his voice tail off. "And as for opening the Rift, that's all forgotten and forgiven." He risked placing a hand on the boy's shoulder and was relieved when it was not shrugged off.

After standing irresolute for a moment, Ianto turned and left the room. Jack watched him go, sad that he should be so torn. Deciding not to go back to the paperwork on his desk, Jack grabbed his greatcoat and headed out. He would check on some of his contacts and see what was happening in Cardiff. Maybe it would help him forget that his team, his friends, no longer needed or trusted him.

* * *

_Next chapter, things get worse for Emily and the team ..._


	3. Chapter 3

_Just a quick note to say that I am not particularly picking on Gwen as having acted rashly in this story, none of the team come out of it without some blame. I wanted to show how their particular traits and concerns affected their decisions and how these all contribute to the end result. Now on with the story._

_The team find that all is not as they had expected …_

* * *

**Emily Louise Perkins **

Chapter 3

The child looked very small as she lay on the examination table, swathed in sterile sheets. Gwen stood at the railing looking down into the Medical Bay where Owen was operating to remove the alien growth with Ianto assisting. The work was delicate and it had taken more than two hours to open the swelling on the neck, neutralise the being inside with an injection of ammonia and begin disentangling the now dead alien from tissue and nerves. The task required patience and complete attention to detail.

"Her breathing's a little ragged," reported Ianto, studying the monitor.

"Hang on." Owen sliced through one of the myriad connections and looked across. "Um, it's okay, for now. I don't want to keep her under too much longer though." He went back to his work.

His treatment plan had been a success up to a point. The alien was dead, which was good, but removing it was proving more difficult than Owen had expected. The fibrous links between parasite and host were tiny and a slip could result in nicking a blood vessel. Deciding on the cautious approach, he had had to leave behind more of the alien than he had wanted and he didn't know how that would affect the girl's recovery. He continued painstakingly, his eyes feeling gritty from the close work and finally, three hours and ten minutes after starting, he severed the final link.

"Ianto, I need a dish over here." Owen waited and when it was in place, he eased the last segment of the alien into the receptacle and started cleaning the wound. So much tissue had been removed a gaping hole had replaced the swelling. Owen took up the sutures and began to close the wound. "Gwen," he called, "have you set up the bed?"

"All done. The monitoring equipment's in place too." They were going to use the rest room for Emily's recovery. It was near enough to be handy but far enough away to be quiet. The surroundings were also more normal than anywhere else in the Hub which should reassure the child when she woke. "How much longer?" asked Gwen.

"About ten minutes."

It was actually another twenty minutes before Owen had closed and lightly dressed the wound in Emily's neck. Gwen held open doors and cleared the way for Ianto who carried the child out of the Medical Bay to the rest room with Owen holding the child's head still. After settling her in the bed and attaching the monitoring equipment, Owen returned to the Medical Bay and, with Ianto's help, cleared up the mess all operations leave in their wake. They gathered together all the pieces of the alien for later examination and stored them in the samples fridge. Gwen stayed with the child having warned Rhys she'd be working late.

Toshiko watched them from her desk. There was nothing she could do to help even if she'd wanted to, and she didn't; the more time that had passed, the more she doubted the wisdom of their actions. When the child had arrived she had left the computer upgrade and watched Emily being prepared for the operation. Pity had welled up inside Toshiko and she had gone back to her desk convinced they were doing the right thing. But then she had accessed the database and read all there was about the creature, even hacked into UNIT's records, all in an attempt to find something that would assist Owen and ultimately the child. What she had found had shocked her. All the evidence supported Jack's view; it was impossible to remove a Javockolia and the host survive. Why hadn't Owen seen this in the records? Why hadn't Jack argued?

As she had sat and pondered her findings, her detached, analytical mind understood why. Owen and Gwen had been fired up to proceed regardless; Gwen in an effort to assert her independence and prove she was the most caring member of the team and Owen to test his surgical skills. Looking at Owen's desk she saw the paper case file from the 1950s; he had got it out but obviously hadn't read it properly. And neither of them had gone to Jack despite his offer of advice. Toshiko thought of Jack who had seen their determination and not fought back, had merely looked at them all sadly. He must have felt rejected, that was the only explanation that made sense, and who could blame him. Toshiko had risen to go back to the Medical Bay armed with her new knowledge but realised it was too late to stop the operation and so had returned to her seat.

She was regretting the decision bitterly.

-ooOoo-

At eight o'clock, Owen sank onto the sofa and rested his head in his hands. Operating always took it out of him and he felt exhausted. Toshiko and Ianto had gone home and Gwen was in the rest room so the doctor stretched out and closed his eyes. As he lay there, resting but not sleeping, he went back over the operation and considered every step. Had he done enough? He hoped so. Emily was alive and the creature had been removed so she was in a better state than when he had seen her for the first time that morning. Footsteps approached and he opened one eye as someone stopped beside him.

"Is it done?" asked Jack. His greatcoat was wet from the rain and he looked cold.

"Yep. She's alive." Owen hoped he didn't sound too gloating.

"Pity." Jack walked off to his office.

Owen ignored the comment and lay back, closed his eyes again and this time drifted off to sleep. He was woken by his comms beeping in his ear. Struggling to wake, he glanced at his watch and saw it was gone midnight. "Yeah," he said into the comms, barely conscious.

"_She waking up."_ It was Gwen from the rest room.

"On my way." Owen closed the connection and rubbed his eyes. As he stood he noticed Jack in his office looking at him sadly. Ignoring his boss, Owen went through the corridors to where his patient awaited him.

"She moved her arm and her eyes are fluttering," reported Gwen, moving from the bedside to give Owen room. She sounded confident that all was well.

"Let me look at her," he said.

Owen did not assume anything until he had evidence to support it and right now it was too early to say what state Emily Perkins was in, in the short or long term. He checked her vitals and watched, relying on his own senses and instincts as much as on the equipment. The child was waking up normally from the anaesthesia and had a good colour. He sniffed the wound, an old trick, and it smelt clean. The evidence so far was good but the test would be when the child woke.

"Well?" demanded Gwen.

Owen moved away from the bed a pace or two, taking Gwen with him. "Signs are good but we won't know for sure until she's fully conscious."

"I knew it!" declared Gwen. "So much for Jack bloody Harkness!"

"Hold your horses, Gwen. There could be brain damage or side effects we can't see. She's not out of the woods yet."

He had supported Gwen against Jack for reasons of his own. She wanted to stand up to Jack and prove him wrong while Owen's interest was scientific and medical. He had wanted to see how the creature embedded itself in the host and whether it could be removed surgically. He didn't mind crossing Jack and would quite like to see him humbled but that was a consequence not a goal. As he mused on this he realised that neither he nor Gwen had proceeded for the sake of Emily – poor kid.

"But she's alive." Gwen was not going to be side tracked.

"For the moment. I'm going to stay with her, why don't you go home and get some sleep? We won't know any more until the morning." He sat down in the chair Gwen had been using and made himself comfortable.

After a short debate with herself, Gwen agreed and went back to get her jacket and bag. She looked around but there was no sign of Jack which was a pity, she'd have liked to see his face when she told him the news.

-ooOoo-

The rest room was quiet when Jack walked in at six in the morning. Owen was dozing in a chair and the child was sleeping. This was the first opportunity Jack had had to look at the child and he smiled at her small round face and blonde hair. She was a pretty child which just made what had happened, what was still happening to her, all the more tragic. He lightly brushed the hair back and placed a kiss on her forehead. Owen had left his case notes on the bed and Jack picked them up, looking at the photographs of the swelling that had now been replaced by a dressing. It was as he thought, exactly the same as the last time, the same as Maggie. He had not made the connection when Owen had first spoken of this child but once they found the creature in the sandpit all the memories had come back with a clarity he could have done without.

"Jack?" Owen had woken and was looking at him.

"What's her status?"

The doctor got up and checked the girl over, scanning the monitors at the same time. "Pretty good. She came round earlier and her brain functions were excellent. She's sleeping now." He turned to face Jack. "I got the creature out."

"Leave anything behind? Is there any of the Javockolia left in her?"

"Some," admitted Owen. "I reckon I got out ninety five percent which is pretty good in my book."

Jack was nodding. "Yeah, that's good. I'm impressed." He handed the case notes over. "Unfortunately for Emily it makes no difference."

"Stop talking in bloody riddles, Jack. If you've got something to say, spit it out." Owen stared at his boss. "What do you know?"

"No more than is in the old case file. You did read it, didn't you?"

"Yeah, of course I did." Owen thought back to the cursory scan he had made of the summary and the first doubts trickled into his brain. "Why?"

Jack held the doctor's gaze and saw through the half-truth but let it go. He looked down at the child and then spoke. "Then you'll know the Javockolia egg attaches itself to the host in minutes. Within an hour its tendrils forge connections that mimic and are entwined with the host's nervous system so completely it's impossible to tell them apart. It insinuates into every function of the body, drawing on the life force to grow and prepare for birth which occurs six or seven days later. This one was inside her for what, three days?" He looked back at Owen. "It's three days too late for her."

"Look, I got it out. Okay, most of it out. She's breathing normally, her vitals are good. She has full brain functions. Why are you going on like a bloody prophet of doom!? There's no reason why she won't make a full recovery." The doubt was there still but Owen was not going to admit defeat yet.

"Even after three years you're still making the fundamental mistake of thinking that alien life will react in the same way as human beings. You should know better than that! This parasite has wound itself into that girl's body so totally that what you removed was the tip of the iceberg. You can't remove it, all you've done is removed its focus. All the connections are still draining off energy, life force, but without an egg to feed they have to find something else to do with it. In twenty four hours, maybe forty eight, that child will be unrecognisable as ever having been human."

"There was no trace of any incursion into the body, just the swelling. I have scans, X-rays that prove that!"

"You're not listening, Owen! It's an alien being that reproduces using other life forms. It has to mimic their physiology or die, so what are your scans and X-rays going to show? Nothing! The creature had adapted before that kid left the sandpit."

Owen looked stunned. "There was no way I could know that," he said slowly. "If it's true."

"It's true and if you'd read the file, properly read the file, you'd know who Maggie Henderson was and what happened to her. What is happening to Emily." He pulled back the covers until the girl's legs were uncovered. "That."

Owen looked down and paled. "Bloody hell."

"What is it?" asked Ianto, coming up to join them. He had arrived early to check on the child and to catch up on the tasks that had been postponed by yesterday's emergency. He looked down and gagged, hand going up to his cover his mouth.

"If you knew all this, why didn't you tell me?" demanded Owen of Jack.

"I assumed you'd read the file, Owen. Anyway, would you have listened to me? Would any of you have listened to me?" replied Jack. He walked out.

-ooOoo-

The Boardroom was quiet even though the whole team was gathered there. They sat round the table, coffee untouched in front of them. On the plasma screen, a picture of Emily Perkins showed the child was asleep again, thanks to a sedative. The covers were drawn up to her chin and Ianto for one was glad. He had seen a lot of strange things in his years working for Torchwood but this had affected him more than the others. Probably because it was happening to such a young and pretty child.

At the head of the table, Jack looked at them one at a time. Beside him, Ianto looked like he'd be sick any minute; Toshiko was wiping her eyes and looking at the table; Owen returned his gaze and then looked away, still pale under his tan; and Gwen sat limp, absolutely shattered. It was time he pulled this team together again.

"Before we go any further, I have an apology to make." They all stirred and looked in his direction if not meeting his eyes. "I was wrong. I should have spoken up, stopped you from doing what you did. My only excuse is that … well, it hurts when your friends don't trust you. Maybe I don't deserve your trust but I should have been big enough to ignore it so you didn't have to go through this. So Emily didn't have to go through this. I'm sorry."

"I knew before the rest of you," began Toshiko haltingly. "I checked the records and I found out what Jack already knew. And I didn't tell you. I kept quiet while you operated on that poor girl. What kind of team member does that make me!?" She was crying openly now. "I should have spoken up, I should have stopped you, Owen. I am so sorry." She bowed her head and wept into her handkerchief.

Ianto spoke next, softly but clearly. "I'm the Archivist and it's my responsibility to give you all the information you need. I didn't make you read the file, didn't read it myself. It's my fault."

"Don't be so stupid, you two! I'm the bloody doctor. I was the one treating the girl. Some joke," Owen laughed mirthlessly, "I didn't give a rat's arse for her, all I wanted was to have a go at removing the alien. Didn't fucking bother to read the file properly. It's my fault."

Gwen looked up. "You all know it was my fault. I had to be the one who cared, the one who had a heart. The one who forced Jack to let us help the girl. And if that meant I could show you, Jack, that I was the stronger leader then so much the better. If I hadn't pushed so hard Owen would have had time to read the damned file." She looked directly at Jack, "And maybe we should have trusted you but it's bloody hard when we don't know whether you'll be here tomorrow or the next day."

"I won't leave again. You're my family and there's nowhere else I want to be." Jack's eyes did not leave Gwen's as he spoke, trying to show her that he meant what he said, trying to make her believe him. After a pause of several seconds, she nodded.

Silence fell again, punctuated only by Toshiko's sniffles. They had said what had to be said, it was time to move on.

"Okay, what's done is done and we all regret it. Now we deal with it. Owen, what's Emily's status?" Jack asked.

The doctor stirred and used the remote to bring up pictures of the girl's legs. "The legs are fused together from hip halfway down to the knee and the skin is scaly and grey, like it was on her neck. Her vitals and other life signs remain normal but I now know that's because the alien is hiding itself."

Ianto forced himself to look at the screen. "What will happen to her?"

"If it's the same as in '53, and there's no reason to think otherwise, the alien will try to make her like itself. Her legs will fuse together totally and become a kind of scaly tail. Her arms will fuse to her body and the rest of her will be covered in the scales. Finally, her mouth and nose will close up and she'll suffocate." He changed the picture on the screen back to the sleeping child and threw the remote onto the table with a clatter. "That's what happened to a Torchwood operative, Maggie Henderson, back then."

"Poor kid."

"Is there nothing we can do?" asked Toshiko. "Owen, surely there's some way we can stop it?"

"Not that I know. Jack?"

"No, there's no way to stop it," Jack confirmed. He remembered Maggie. A plump, happy woman who had been bitten when a captive Javockolia had been brought into the Hub before they realised what if could do to a human being.

"Will it hurt?" asked Ianto.

"No," answered Jack. "The alien deadens the pain receptors and somehow masks the effects from the brain. Emily won't be able to move but she won't know why."

"How long? How long will it take?" pressed the Welshman.

"A day, maybe two." Owen rubbed his hands over his face. "Unless I end it now. A shot of morphine would …"

"No!" Gwen interrupted. "No, that's the easy way out. We should let her have as long as possible, if it won't distress her. I was the one that started this and I'll look after her." She knew she had made a mistake and was determined to put it right. "I need to do this, for my sake as much as for Emily."

"It won't be easy, Gwen, but for the record I think you're doing the right thing." Jack smiled at her and was pleased to see her expression soften in response. "And I'll help. I know what it's like."

"You knew this Maggie Henderson?" asked Toshiko. She had stopped crying and was pulling herself back together.

"Yeah. She was a funny, happy lady who made everyone feel better about themselves. We all thought that removing the growth would save her but, like you, we learnt the hard way. She was so brave." He blinked back tears.

"If there's anything I can do, I will," volunteered Toshiko.

"And me," said Ianto.

"Thanks," acknowledged Gwen. "I'll call you if I need you." She turned to Jack, "Anything else? I'd like to go to Emily."

"Tosh, the update still on course?" asked Jack.

"Yes. I'll be shutting down everything but the stand alone PC at ten tonight. Assuming all goes well, we'll be fully restored by six tomorrow morning."

"Excellent. Owen, make sure Emily's monitors are patched into the stand alone and anything else you need. Has anyone any more?" They all shook their heads. "Okay, meeting over."

-ooOoo-

Work continued for the rest of the morning without any unscheduled interruptions. Owen and Gwen spent most of their time in the rest room, monitoring and caring for Emily. She was conscious and Gwen read to her from a story book that Ianto had found in a cupboard, along with a doll which the girl now clutched in her arms. Toshiko made final preparations for her computer upgrade yet still found time to pop into the rest room and relieve Gwen when she needed a break. Ianto carried on with his normal tasks but he too checked in with Gwen and Owen, taking drinks to them.

Jack strolled round the Hub, acquainting himself with the subtle changes that had been made in his absence and checking up on the team. When he got back to his office, Ianto followed him in, carrying a mug.

"Thought you could do with another coffee," he said simply.

"Thanks."

"Did you mean it? Are you really staying this time?" Ianto stood, hands in pockets, looking at his boss.

"Yes. I want to be here. I want to be with you." He sipped the coffee watching the boy.

Ianto chewed his lip and then nodded. "Okay," he said and smiled.

* * *

_Next time, caring for Emily continues to take a toll on the team and Jack and Ianto go on a date …_


	4. Chapter 4

_A small moment of calm followed by a crisis .._

* * *

**Emily Louise Perkins**

Chapter 4

It was lunchtime and the team gathered to eat the take away Chinese that Ianto had ordered. Conversation was sparse at first but gradually they began to talk about normal things. Jack learnt that Owen and Toshiko had both moved home and joined in the slightly forced laughter when told of Owen's chaotic attempts at packing.

Gwen excused herself early and went back to Emily's side. The child was sleeping normally. As she sat watching the little girl's chest rise and fall, Gwen let her mind wander. Idly, she fingered her engagement ring and smiled at the memory of Rhys' proposal; so typical of the man to make a hash of it. She also recalled Jack's reaction when she had told him. He had been surprised, certainly, but had there been some disappointment too? It worried her that she wanted him to be disappointed and in a moment of clarity understood that her challenges to his authority were partly a result of her attraction to him. An attraction that was not strong enough for her to abandon Rhys, whom she loved, nor, on his side, for him to try and win her. A tear escaped and rolled down her cheek.

"You all right?" asked Owen, coming into the room.

"Yes. Just thinking." Gwen wiped away the tear and smiled at him.

He stood irresolute for a moment then spoke. "Don't beat yourself up over this. We both made mistakes, me more than most. We've just got to put it behind us and get on with the job."

"I know. But knowing doesn't make it any easier to do."

"No. Look, I'm going home to get some kip." He nodded towards the bed, "She'll need me more later on so best if I go now. Jack said he'll keep an eye on things."

"Okay." He checked the sleeping child and then turned to go. "Owen, before you go. About what Jack said earlier, do you trust him?"

"About as far as I can throw him," he replied and grinned. "But I think he means it, about not leaving again." When she did not respond, he continued, "Right, I'm off."

Half an hour later, Jack came into the rest room carrying coffee for both of them. "Don't worry, Ianto made it," he said, handing her one of the mugs.

"Thanks."

She wrapped her hands round the warm mug and watched as Jack went to the other side of the bed. He put his own mug down and then bent to look at the child, lifting the covers on his side to check her legs. The fusing was continuing and now stretched from her hips to her knees and the grey, scaly skin covered the whole area. There had been some extension of the skin mutation across her stomach but not much. He replaced the covers carefully and then stroked the girl's hair gently. After a moment, he picked up his coffee and pulled up a chair and sat down, across the bed from Gwen.

"How's she doing?" asked Gwen who had made a point of not looking under the covers.

He shrugged. "The mutation's continuing but if anything I'd say it was slower than I expected. Her hands and arms are unaffected so far and that's good." He reached a hand and held one of Emily's, stroking the back of it with his thumb.

"She's very quiet, when she's awake. Just lies there stroking the doll and listens as I read to her."

"That's one of the side effects. The alien needs a compliant host." He sipped his coffee. "How are you doing, Gwen?"

"I'm fine." He looked at her steadily and she held the gaze as long as she could before breaking the contact. "All right, I'm not fine! This is all my fault, I'm to blame."

"Don't take on more than your due. We're all to blame; me, you, Owen and even Tosh and Ianto a little. You four wanted to save her and I didn't spell out the consequences."

"Don't try to make me feel better, Jack, please! I know I fucked up."

"Yes, you did. There's no need to beat yourself up about it though. Just remember that if we'd left Emily alone the Javockolia would have grown and then burst out, killing her and running amok in the hospital." He watched her carefully, glad she was taking responsibility but not wanting her to drown under the weight of it.

Gwen thought about this for a while, drinking her coffee and staring at nothing. She had forgotten that. "We should have ended it when you said. It would have been better for Emily." She looked at the child's sleeping face and was overcome with pity for her.

"That's what I thought with Maggie. Seeing her go through this … transformation was among the worst things I've ever had to do. But she insisted, said it was important that we recorded the effects so we could learn from it, could work out a way to stop it." He smiled ruefully, "I guess we didn't learn very much."

The two sat in companionable silence, content to be in one another's company for perhaps the first time since Jack had returned.

-ooOoo-

Preparations for that evening's computer upgrade were complete and Toshiko sat back in her chair and sighed. It had been a long hard slog getting it done but now she found she had time to spare. She checked her watch, only six o'clock. She wondered how best to fill in the next four hours. She would be in the Hub all night, in case anything went wrong, and decided to take a shower and change. It would freshen her up and use up some time. She saw Ianto come up from the vaults and watched as he crossed the lower level and climbed the steps beside her.

"Did anyone ever help you with the Weevils?" she asked, remembering the briefing meeting of the day before. So much had happened since then it seemed more like a week ago.

"Jack helped yesterday. Everyone's been busy today so I did it myself."

"Sorry I couldn't help. Remind me tomorrow." She paused. "How are you getting on with Jack?"

Ianto shrugged. "Okay, I suppose."

"It must be hard for you. Look, if you'd rather not talk about it, just say and I'll shut up but if you want to talk ..." She let the offer hang in the air, smiling at him. They had chatted occasionally when Jack had been absent and she had an idea of the conflict he was dealing with now their boss was back.

"Actually," he began, hesitantly, "we're supposed to be going on a date tonight." Her face lit up with pleasure. "Don't get carried away," he warned. "I don't know if it's still on or not given …" he nodded towards the rest room not needing to say any more.

"I hope it is, for your sake. For both your sakes. Time away from here may be just what you need. As for Emily … Not much we can do right now." She had dropped in to check on Gwen and the girl during the afternoon but not stayed long.

"No." There were silent for a couple of minutes, thinking of the little girl and what was happening to her. "I was going to make some coffee."

"Not for me thanks. I'm going to shower and change then chill for a bit." She stood up and put a hand on his arm. "Jack's in the Boardroom. Go and find out about your date." She smiled and walked off.

Having made some coffee, Ianto took some to Gwen along with a boxed fruit drink for Emily. The child seemed to need liquids but not food, although she had been tempted with some small, pink wafer biscuits earlier. He chatted with Emily for a few minutes then went off to the Boardroom. Jack was standing in front of the plasma screen, flicking through some images.

"Coffee," said Ianto brandishing the blue and white striped mug.

"Thanks." Jack smiled and took the proffered beverage. "About tonight -" he began.

"It's okay, I understand. With all this going on, of course we'll cancel."

"Cancel? I don't want to cancel. Do you want to cancel?" Jack regarded him anxiously.

"No, I just thought –"

"Good. What I was going to say was, if it's okay with you, we'll just have a meal. I wanted to do the movie thing as well but I'd like to be back here before the upgrade starts and to check on the child."

"That would be fine." Ianto swallowed, still unsure of his own feelings. "What time?"

"Table's booked for seven thirty. Shall I pick you up at seven?" Jack sipped his coffee, watching the confusion on Ianto's face and loving it. He looked even younger when he was flustered.

"Okay. I'll get going then, if that's all right?"

"No problem. Owen's on his way in and as soon as he gets here, I'll be free to leave." A shadow passed over his face. "I was hoping to persuade Gwen to go home but she won't go."

"She feels responsible for Emily."

"I know." Jack sighed. "Anyway, don't let me hold you up. You've got go make yourself even more handsome." To his great delight, he saw Ianto blush before he fled the room.

-ooOoo-

The Hub at night was a strange place. The dimmed lights cast shadows in unexpected places and gave it an eerie feel which was further enhanced by the sounds of machinery ticking over. Tonight there was the additional noise of water flowing through the overflow basin caused by an unusually high tide. Owen hated the Hub at night and made a point of staying in the Medical Bay or work area when he pulled an all nighter. Both were well-lit and reassuring when the place got to him. He was currently sitting at his desk with a bottle of beer in his hand eating a sandwich prepared by Toshiko who had her chair pulled up next to his sharing the impromptu meal.

"Africa," he mumbled, swallowing his mouthful of food, "I'd like to go Africa."

"Anywhere in particular? It's a big place."

"That's the problem. I guess my ideal would be to buy a car and drive from one end to the other. Cairo to Johannesburg, that would be some trip."

They were trying to decide on their ideal holiday if money and time were no object. In the early hours of the morning it was conversations like these that kept them awake. The upgrade was well underway and Owen and Gwen had come up to join Toshiko for this midnight feast. However, Gwen was currently asleep on the sofa so it was just the two of them. Jack had come in shortly before ten and disappeared into his living quarters and was still there. Toshiko had been unable to tell from his expression how the evening with Ianto had gone; she hoped it had helped them sort out their feelings for one another.

"I want to go to Antarctica," announced Toshiko.

"What!? It's bloody freezing down there!"

"I know that, Owen. I want to travel on an ice-breaker and see it carve its way through the ice fields. And to see the penguins."

"Go to a zoo, mate, it would be a lot warmer. You want the last sandwich?"

"No, you can have it." She watched as he ate it hungrily. "And a zoo wouldn't be the same."

"How about a favourite city to visit. Say, you've just got a long weekend, where would you go?"

"Florence."

"Why?"

"It's beautiful. I went there once with my mother, years ago. We walked for miles and round every corner there was something wonderful to discover." She recalled the holiday with pleasure. "What about you?"

"Las Vegas. Beautiful girls, casinos and free booze in most of them. Good climate too." He washed down the last of his sandwich with some beer. "What's not to like?"

"How goes it?" asked Jack, walking out of his office to join them.

"The upgrade's on track. No problems so far." Toshiko had her fingers crossed beneath the desk, just in case.

"Emily's sleeping. Her legs are fully fused now and she doesn't seem able to use her arms as much as earlier." Owen was serious again, the few minutes relaxation forgotten. He glanced at the stand alone PC which showed Emily in her bed. "Guess that's the next stage."

"Yeah." Jack looked over at Gwen who was sleeping peacefully, her face untroubled. "How's Gwen holding up?"

"Okay. She's been with the kid all night. Why?"

"It's not easy, watching someone mutate like this and I … Well, I wonder if she's strong enough." Jack ran a hand through his hair.

"She's stronger than she looks," replied Owen, finishing his beer. "I was talking to Laura Hughes earlier, the doctor at the hospital. I told her that Emily's not going to make it. She asked about telling the parents; we're going to have to do it soon."

"I know. Is it better to tell them now or wait until she actually dies?" asked Jack, folding his arms across his chest.

"I think we should do it now."

"What if they ask to see her? Or want to make funeral arrangements?" put in Toshiko. "She isn't dead yet; we should wait."

"Tosh has a point. Prepare the parents, Owen, but they can't have the body. If they agree a closed casket, Ianto can fix something up."

"You're probably right. I'll talk to Laura in the morning but now I'll get back to Emily. Let Gwen sleep for a while longer." He rose and went off.

"How was your evening?" Toshiko asked Jack.

"Good, thanks." He looked at her curiously. "Why?"

"Ianto told me you were going out. I just wondered ..."

"It was fine, thanks, Tosh. We had a pleasant meal before I took him home and left him at his door." He was grinning now, amused at her interest in his love life. "Okay?"

"I'm not prying, Jack. It's just, well, when you were away Ianto was a bit of a mess and I don't want to see him hurt any more. That's all." She would not look at her boss, busying herself with clearing up the plates and drinks.

Jack took her arm as she passed him on her way to the kitchen. "I know. I'm pleased he has someone to look out for him." They exchanged an understanding smile and she went on her way.

-ooOoo-

When Gwen woke it took her a few minutes to remember what she was doing in the Hub. Then it hit her; she was caring for Emily. Swinging her feet down to the floor, she looked around but no one was in sight. She checked her watch: 3.17. Stretching and working the kinks out of her neck, she noticed the screen and saw her colleagues gathered round the child's bed. She ran to join them, bursting into the room.

"What's happened?" she asked, moving to the side of the bed next to Owen. Jack and Toshiko were stood on the other side, holding Emily still while Owen injected her. The child was thrashing about, her body arching above the bed. "What's that you're giving her?"

"She's having a seizure. Had a number actually. Owen's giving her something to help." Toshiko was holding onto the child's legs, or what they had become, glad they were covered by a blanket.

"Oh my God. Why didn't you wake me?" Gwen stood, not knowing how best to help.

"There was nothing you could have done, Gwen," soothed Jack. "Besides, we didn't have time." The drug took effect and the child's erratic movements slowed and then stopped. Jack and Toshiko moved back.

"I've given her diazepam, that'll help for a while," said Owen, putting the syringe down.

"What was it? What caused it?" asked Gwen, sitting on the bed and stroking the child's arm.

"Epileptic seizure, pretty text-book stuff. The brain's obviously being affected now." He looked at Jack. "The old case file doesn't say anything about this."

"It didn't happen. I was with Maggie all the time and she didn't react this way, she was calm throughout. Could be the Javockolia inside Emily is getting more aggressive. If so, matters are progressing quicker now."

"What do we do?" asked Gwen.

"I can keep her dosed up but the treatment's pretty toxic in itself." Owen was always reluctant to give strong drugs, especially to children.

"I don't think that matters, Owen," said Jack. The two men exchanged a look and they understood each other. The child was going to die, the cause didn't matter.

The four Torchwood team members were silent. There was nothing they needed to say. Toshiko excused herself and went back to her desk to check on the upgrade, anxious to be away from the dying girl. Owen went to the Medical Bay to run some tests on tissue samples he had taken from the girl earlier. He was determined that some good would come from this death, that no one else would have to suffer in this way. He had more and better equipment than had been available to his predecessors in the 1950s, surely he could find a way to counter the Javockolia. Gwen and Jack stayed with Emily.

Gwen sat in a chair by the bedside. The brief respite gained from her sleep had dissipated and she was again in the middle of a waking nightmare. The alien's insidious advance on Emily's body left Gwen silently screaming with frustration. She wanted to fight it, to find a weapon and beat it into submission. She understood that kind of fight and over the past year had proved she was good at it. This current battle – if she could call it that – was more like the loss of Jasmine Pierce to the faeries when Torchwood had had to submit to a power so alien and strong that it couldn't be fought by normal methods, couldn't be fought at all. Gwen hated feeling so helpless in the face of such power and wondered if she would ever be able to accept that there were beings in the Universe beyond the human capacity to overcome.

She looked across at Jack, sitting in the chair opposite. He was leaning over Emily, brushing her hair and washing her face murmuring to her even though she was unconscious. With a sudden insight, Gwen recognised his great compassion for all beings that were hurt or damaged. She had sat here for hours, reading and talking to the child when she was awake, but had not once thought to wash her face or brush her hair. She who had thought herself the conscience of Torchwood, its heart and caring soul, had not touched the child except to stroke her arm or hold her hand - the still human part of her. Gwen had not even properly looked at what was happening to Emily, shying away from the truth, hiding it under the blankets.

"Jack, I want to see Emily."

"She's right here, Gwen."

"No, I mean see her. I've not looked … at what she's becoming." Gwen stared at Jack. "I need to."

Jack regarded her solemnly and then nodded. He didn't think she'd be able to cope with the full extent of the child's appearance but she was right, she did need to see; she needed to test herself. He gently raised the covers and rolled them back until the child's body was fully exposed. Below the waist, Emily was totally alien in appearance. Her legs had lost their definition and in their place was a thick scaly tail that, to Gwen's horror, twitched rhythmically. The skin on the 'tail' was grey and hard, almost cracked, and extended over her groin to her abdomen. Emily's fingers were fused together and her hands and lower arms were beginning to take on the same appearance as the tail. Only her upper body, shoulders and head retained their human characteristics. It was horrible.

"Gwen?" said Jack gently, seeing her distress, "have you seen enough?" When she nodded, he replaced the covers, tucking them in gently.

"I can't do this," she said in a whisper. She was weeping silently.

"That's all right. I understand." He stood and walked round the bed, taking her in his arms; she clung to him. "You go home and get some rest." He walked her to the work area, holding her as she continued to weep. "Tosh, could you take Gwen home please? I'll keep an eye on the update for you."

Tosh was about to refuse but saw Gwen's distress and even she knew that a computer upgrade was not as important as her friend. "Of course. I'll get her bag. Her jacket's behind you."

Jack helped Gwen into the short leather jacket and watched the two women walk out of the cog door. Gwen was still weeping when the door closed behind her. He turned when he heard footsteps.

"What happened?" asked Owen.

"Gwen couldn't take any more," said Jack with a sigh.

"I can leave this if you want me to be with the kid," Owen offered.

"It's okay. I'll stay with her. I'm still hoping you'll come up with a cure." Jack smiled sadly; both men knew that anything Owen discovered would be too late for this child. "When Tosh gets back, tell her I stayed here until five minutes before she appeared or she'll have my guts for garters!"

Owen returned his boss's smile, both had been on the receiving end of a tirade from Toshiko when they had ignored her instructions. He watched Jack head back through the tunnels to the rest room and, after a moment, returned to the Medical Bay. Who knew, maybe he would find a cure, he was going to try.

* * *

_Next time, the pressure gets to Owen and Jack takes action .._


	5. Chapter 5

_Owen feels the pressure and Jack takes action …_

* * *

**Emily Louise Perkins**

Chapter 5

It was six thirty when Ianto came into the Hub. He had a box of pastries with him, bought at an upmarket bakery he used only when the team needed the extra luxury as a morale booster. He found Toshiko alone in the work area, still at her desk where he had left her the night before.

"Morning, Tosh," he said as he passed her and put down the pastries on the coffee table. "Did the upgrade work?"

"Umm, no problems thanks." She swung her chair round and smiled at him. "How was your evening?"

"Good. Where is everyone?" He looked round, deciding to head off Toshiko's next questions about his date with Jack. It had been a good evening; an excellent meal in a mid-range restaurant and the leisure to chat, miraculously some had been unrelated to Torchwood. Ianto was no nearer knowing what Jack had done in his months away from them but had the impression it had not been a holiday.

"Gwen's gone home, I don't think she'll be in today."

"What happened?" Ianto could tell from the tone of Toshiko's voice and her body language that something had occurred.

"She had a bit of a meltdown. She looked at Emily, looked at what she's becoming and … Well, she couldn't deal with it." Toshiko paused. "I've watched the CCTV and it's horrendous, really horrible." Toshiko gulped, unable to continue. When she had returned from taking Gwen home she had pulled up the CCTV and almost gagged when she had seen the 'tail' that had once been the girl's legs. She did not blame Gwen for walking away.

"I've made a point of not looking," admitted Ianto. He was not sure whether to comfort Toshiko or not. They were both private people and neither welcomed casual physical contact.

"I wish I hadn't." They were silent for a few minutes.

"This won't do," said Ianto eventually, "coffee?"

"Please. Owen's in the hot house and Jack's with Emily." She turned back to her computers seeking the safety of her beloved technology which did not give her nightmares. Her life may be sterile and lonely at times but at least she could sleep at night.

When the coffee was ready, Ianto did the rounds offering pastries at the same time. As he approached the hot house, he saw Owen sitting at the small table his head in his hands. Ianto paused just inside the door and then entered the room, making a deliberate noise to alert the doctor to his presence. Owen looked up and Ianto was shocked by his appearance. He was haggard, much more so than working all night should have left him. Not knowing what to say for the best, Ianto opted for saying nothing at all. He placed the coffee mug on the table and offered the pastries.

"No, ta," said Owen. His voice was dull and as bleak as his expression. He scrubbed at his face and went back to silent contemplation. Ianto left him to it.

In the rest room, he found Jack sitting beside Emily's bed. He was singing softly, a song Ianto had only ever heard him sing. It was gentle and relaxing and Ianto had once asked what it was and been told it was a lullaby; the cadence was right. Without stopping, Jack looked over at the young man and smiled briefly. He nodded when Ianto put down the tray with the coffee, a couple of boxed drinks, a pastry and a few of the pink wafers Emily had liked. Ianto hesitated a moment then left. At the door, he turned and looked properly at the child in the bed for the first time. All he could see was her head and the bright blonde hair splayed out on the pillow; the strange shape under the covers told its own story and Ianto knew he did not want to see any more.

For the rest of the morning everyone was subdued. Gwen did not appear and Jack stayed with Emily. Toshiko tidied up following the upgrade and tested it all thoroughly. Owen and Ianto dealt with a Weevil alert mid-morning and two more inmates were added to the cells.

"Want a hand feeding this lot?" asked Owen when the door clanged shut on the latest arrivals.

"Um, er, what?" stuttered Ianto. The doctor never volunteered to help. "Sorry. Yes, please."

"Don't worry, this won't be a regular event," joked Owen, grinning grimly. "I just need to get away from … from all that upstairs." He ran his hand through his hair making it stick up on end. "It's a bloody mess." Ianto opened his mouth but then shut it again, thinking better of saying aloud what was on his mind. Owen noticed and looked at him enquiringly. "What? Spit it out."

"That 'bloody mess' was created by you and Gwen. She's run away and now you are too. Seems a bit fucking rich to leave Jack to clear up your mess." Ianto turned away. At dinner the previous evening, Jack had talked a little about his friend Maggie Henderson who had suffered in the same way as Emily and the difficulty he had found in caring for her. Now he was being left to go through it all again.

"It's not like that," Owen complained, "you don't understand. Knowing I can't help this kid, it's just got to me."

"But Jack's immune, I suppose! He's already gone through this once with his friend Maggie, why should he have to do it again? He didn't want Emily to suffer in the first place."

"No, he just wanted to kill her!"

"Which would have been better than what she is now!" The two men were standing toe to toe and while Ianto had the slight height advantage there was little to differentiate them otherwise. They might have come to blows but Owen drew back conceding defeat.

"You think I don't know that!? I was a bloody fool, I admit it, and if I could go back and do it differently, I would. Believe me, I would." He looked Ianto in the eye. "And you're right, I shouldn't leave it to Jack but I just can't face it, face her or him, right now."

Owen had had a lousy night. He had worked solidly trying everything he could think of to come up with a magic bullet that would help future victims of the Javockolia if not reverse Emily's mutation. Gwen's abrupt departure had spurred him on to greater efforts and he had worked feverishly at an idea that looked promising, might even help Emily. But it had not worked out. Despite hours of effort, he was no nearer finding a solution and had become demoralised. He had finally thrown in the towel and admitted there was no cure, no magic bullet that would solve all their problems and salve his conscience. Retreating to the hot house was cowardly, he knew that, but he could not face Jack or, worse still, Emily. He had let them both down. Talking to Laura Hughes and telling her that it was only a matter of time before the girl died had added to his woes. He didn't need Ianto to tell him what he already knew.

"I'm sorry," said Ianto quietly.

"Don't be, I deserved it." They stood in silence for a while as the tension between them dissipated. "You want a hand or not?"

"Please." Ianto managed a small smile and the two men set to and fed all the occupants of the cells. By the time they had finished, both were better able to face what awaited them in the main Hub.

-ooOoo-

Toshiko crept into the rest room. She felt someone should check if Jack needed anything, that he was coping. With Ianto and Owen still in the cells the task fell to her. The room was quiet. Jack was standing staring into space and did not notice her entry. Toshiko looked to the bed and saw Emily was awake and smiling at her. Startled, Toshiko floundered for a moment but then moved to the bedside. Jack caught the movement in the air and turned to watch.

"Hello, Emily," said Toshiko, sitting on the bed. She resolutely kept her eyes on Emily's face not the misshapen lump under the covers. "Can I get you anything?"

"I expect she'd like a drink," said Jack.

Toshiko picked up the boxed drink and put the straw to Emily's mouth. "How's that?" she said, smiling. "It's blackcurrant, my favourite." She was pleased when the child drank a little.

"Everything all right, Tosh?" asked Jack. He was now standing on the other side of the bed.

"Fine. Owen and Ianto caught the Weevils, they're putting them in the cells. I came because I wondered if you needed anything." She replaced the drink on the bedside table, Emily didn't want any more.

"We're fine. Is Owen okay? He seemed a little … upset when we spoke earlier." It had not escaped Jack's notice that Owen had not come to check on Emily since Gwen had left.

"He's blaming himself for not finding a cure." She stood and faced him across the bed. "He's not said anything to me but I overheard him and Ianto. He thinks he's let you down, let you both down." She glanced back at Emily who had closed her eyes.

"I thought that might be it." He paused, thinking then asked, "Anything from Gwen?"

"No. Do you want me to call her?"

He shook his head, "No, leave it, Tosh. I'll talk to her later. How are you holding up? You've had a long night, " he smiled, "and a highly successful one."

"I'm okay for a few more hours. You'll need me with Gwen out."

"Thanks. But you're going home at a reasonable hour tonight, no arguments."

"Okay." She was tired after working over twenty four hours straight. She had managed to nap for an hour or two but that had not helped a lot. It never did. She needed a solid few hours in bed before she'd feel fully refreshed. "I'll get back to my desk, if there's nothing I can do to help." She looked at him enquiringly.

"Everything's under control here." He smiled as she walked out of the room then he walked across and shut and locked the door.

-ooOoo-

It was not a hard decision to make in the end. Jack had put it off but now his team was falling apart again and he could delay no longer.

At the bedside, he stood with his back to the CCTV camera, obscuring its view, and gently pulled back the covers. Emily's body was now entirely covered in the hard, grey scales. Her arms and hands were fused to the sides of her body which had become one with the tail. The mutation was up to her neck and Jack knew what that meant. It had been the worst part of his vigil with Maggie. As the mutation continued, he had watched helplessly as her throat had slowly closed making it harder and harder for her to breathe. The Torchwood medics of the time had left it too late to perform a tracheotomy – their scalpels could not penetrate the mutated skin - and as Maggie's mouth and nose had fused she had been left fighting for air. Jack had acted then, refusing to let her suffer any more, overriding his colleagues' objections. He would act now, before this child had to suffer any further.

Jack replaced the bed covers and stroked Emily's hair one last time. Her hair was a beautiful white blonde. If she had been spared to grow to maturity it would have been her crowning glory. After only a moment's hesitation, Jack placed a small pillow over Emily's mouth and nose and pressed hard.

-ooOoo-

Lunch had been ordered and Ianto was setting up the mugs for another round of coffee when Jack walked into the work area. He did not meet Ianto's eyes. Standing by the couch, he announced, "Emily's dead. The mutation had consumed her body and was about to interfere with her breathing. It was time to end it," said Jack, his face a stony mask.

Toshiko swung round, mouth open in shock. Ianto stopped what he was doing and lowered his eyes. Owen felt a weight fall from his shoulders, slumped in his chair and lowered his head to the desk. Jack walked past them, entered his office and shut the door quietly. He sat at this desk, chair turned away from them and wept silently.

The pizzas arrived and Ianto brought them down from the Tourist Office and placed them on the coffee table. No one had spoken since Jack's announcement. Ianto hesitated, then went to the coffee machine and made the drinks, bringing them to the table too. He stood not knowing what to do next.

"Thought I smelt coffee," said Jack, coming out of his office. He had wiped his eyes but Ianto recognised the signs and smiled in encouragement. "And pizzas, good." He sat on the couch and took his mug.

Toshiko responded to his efforts at normality and scooted over in her chair. "I'm hungry," she said, taking the pizza offered by Ianto. "Owen, come join us."

The doctor raised his head and looked across at them gathered by the sofa. It should have been him to take the final step, he had suggested it earlier after all, but yet again he had been a coward and ducked his responsibilities, laying the burden on Jack. He wondered how the bloke dealt with all the crap they laid at his door. Wearily he propelled his chair over and took the pizza from Ianto.

Ianto sat on the sofa beside Jack and opened his own pizza. He was not surprised by what Jack had done; he was glad. The child had suffered enough and it was more than time to end it for her. But Jack's suffering hadn't ended. With sudden clarity, the Welshman realised that his love for Jack was strong enough to forget and forgive an unexplained absence and a stray ex-lover. Ianto didn't need to be wooed back to Jack's side. He would be there for the older man whenever he needed his support and love. And he needed it now more than ever although he would never ask for it.

They ate in silence for a while, enjoying the hot food and the restorative injection of caffeine. Jack was the first to speak. "We need to alert the parents, Owen. Do we go through that doctor friend of yours?"

"Yeah. I spoke to her earlier, she'll have warned them. But they deserve more than a phone call. I'll arrange with Laura to go and see them." He met Jack's eyes and held his gaze. This was something that Owen needed to do and he was not going to duck his responsibilities again. Jack nodded agreement.

"I'll set the paperwork in motion," volunteered Toshiko. "What should I put as cause of death?"

"Asphyxiation," said Jack realising that in this case the truth could be used. It was consistent with the growth on the child's neck which was the last physical sign the parents and the hospital had seen.

"Okay." Toshiko ducked her head, not looking at him, fully comprehending what Jack had done for the first time.

"I'm sure Laura would sign off on that," said Owen. "Put her name on the certificate. I'll confirm it with you later." Having the doctor who had treated Emily sign the death certificate was preferable to using one of Toshiko's band of virtual medics.

"What about the body?" asked Ianto. He tried to be professional. He had dealt with any number of bodies in his time with Torchwood but this one was different. Emily had been here in the Hub and he had spoken with her, she had an identity the others had never had for him.

"I ought to do an autopsy," said Owen.

"You're not going to find anything you don't already know," said Jack. "The kid's been through enough. No more." He saw Owen's relief. "We should dispose of the body. I'll help you later, Ianto." Incineration was the only way Jack knew that would ensure nothing of the Javockolia survived. Jack drank down the last of his coffee. "I have to tell Gwen too."

"Let me," offered Owen. "I'll go and see her, after I've seen the parents."

"Okay," replied Jack slowly, eyeing the doctor. "You sure?"

"Yeah." Owen stood. "I'll call Laura."

"I'll get on with the paperwork," said Toshiko returning to her desk.

"When you've done that, Tosh, get off home. Ianto and I can cover here." Jack was standing too, moving round the coffee table. "Let me know how you get on, Owen."

"Will do."

Ianto cleared away the pizza boxes and mugs and then went to the rest room where Jack – and Emily's body – waited for him. They all got on with their allotted tasks.

-ooOoo-

Owen picked up Laura Hughes from the hospital and they drove to the Perkins home, just a few streets away. After initial greetings, they travelled in silence through the mid-afternoon traffic. Drawing up in the driveway of the house, Owen cut the engine and took a deep breath. This was going to be hard but he had done worse. The front door opened and Simon Perkins emerged looking at them. Even now, after all the warnings the doctors had given him, he was still hopeful that his little girl would be coming home.

"Doctor," he said as they neared him, "how is she?"

"Let's go inside, Mr Perkins," said Laura, taking his arm and turning him around. "Is your wife here?"

"Yes, she left work early after you called." He allowed himself to be steered into the house and led the way to the lounge/diner where Carol Perkins sat in a chair calmly knitting. "Carol, the doctors are here." The woman looked up and nodded in acknowledgement but kept on knitting. Laura and Simon Perkins sat on the sofa while Owen pulled over a chair from the dining table and sat on that.

"I have some bad news, I'm afraid. Emily died a hour ago," said Laura. "I'm very sorry."

"No …" came from Simon, "no, it can't be true." He looked from Laura to Owen, his expression disbelieving and frantic. "No, she can't be dead!"

"I'm sorry, Mr Perkins," said Owen. "If it's any consolation, she wasn't in any pain." At least that much is true, he thought. He looked across at Carol Perkins but she was exactly as before, her knitting needles clicking away in the otherwise silent house.

"But how?" wailed Simon. He was wringing his hands now, something Owen had only read about in novels and not believed people did in real life. Laura Hughes put a hand on his arm.

"The growth on Emily's neck got worse. We couldn't stop it and finally it closed her airways. There was nothing we could do. I am so sorry." Laura spelt out the line she and Owen had agreed. In essence it was the truth.

"Oh my God, she's gone? She's really gone?" Tears were flowing down Simon's face and he collapsed in on himself, suddenly unable to keep himself upright. Laura took his head onto her shoulder and patted his back. Carol Perkins continued to knit.

"Is there anyone we can call? Anyone you'd like us to inform?" asked Owen. For the first time since this whole fiasco had started, Owen felt sorry for someone else. It was these people – well, the father at least – who were most affected. Not him, Owen, the doctor who had thought he knew better than anyone else what was best for Emily. These people had lost a daughter, their old child and she could never be replaced. Tears pricked Owen's eyes and he blinked hurriedly.

"We'll be fine, thank you," said Carol Perkins. "Are there any formalities we need to go through? We'll need to arrange the funeral as soon as possible."

"How could you, you unfeeling bitch!" shouted Simon, roused and angry. He was on his feet and standing over his wife, fists clenched at his side. Owen was beside him, holding his shoulders and pulling him back.

"That's not going to help, Mr Perkins," he soothed, inching him back to the sofa. He managed to get him to sit down. Carol Perkins had not moved and continued to knit, unperturbed by her husband's outburst.

"I'll call Doctor Clarke," put in Laura, rising to her feet. He was the GP who had referred the case to the hospital. "He should be here." She walked into the hallway to make the call in private.

"I don't think we need more doctors," said Carol, "but as you wish." She looked across at Owen who was standing beside the sofa where Simon was weeping uncontrollably. "You didn't answer my question."

"You can arrange the funeral anytime though in view of Emily's condition, a closed casket will be necessary," Owen replied coldly. This was some piece of work. Her daughter was dead and her husband an emotional wreck and all she cared about was a funeral and her bloody knitting. He wanted to shout at her, to snatch the needles and poke her eye out with them. "Just let Dr Hughes know who you want us to release the body to." Owen stared at the woman, willing her to show at least some concern. She didn't, just nodded and kept on knitting.

Laura came back into the room and felt the tension. "Dr Clarke is on his way. He'll be here in about ten minutes." She turned to Owen, seeing his stiff back and clenched fists. "Owen?" she nodded towards the hallway and urged him out in front of her.

"That woman!" he said through gritted teeth.

"Why don't you get on? I'll stay here until Peter arrives. I can walk back to the hospital." She urged him towards the front door and was relieved when he went willingly. It would not help matters if Owen stayed and said something rude to the bereaved parents..

Owen nodded brusquely and went out of the front door. He sat in the car for a few minutes, recovering his temper, and then drove off. When he had parked outside Gwen's place, he called Jack and told him Emily's parents had been informed and wanted the – a – body. Then he pushed the bell for Gwen's flat; she buzzed him in.

* * *

_Next time, the concluding chapter in which there is one more twist to the tale …_


	6. Chapter 6

_The last chapter and there is one more unwelcome development for the team .._

* * *

**Emily Louise Perkins**

Chapter 6

Waking up with a splitting headache on someone else's couch was not a new experience for Owen. What made this one different was that he recognised the man roughly shaking him awake and jabbering in a Welsh accent. It was Rhys, Gwen's other half.

"Come on, get cracking now. Want some breakfast?" Rhys moved on to the kitchenette having made sure Owen was awake. He sighed when he saw the collection of empty bottles and cans on the side; he'd have to go to the supermarket later to get in more beer and wine.

"No, thanks," croaked Owen, holding his head in his hands. He hadn't felt this bad in ages.

"Here, catch." Owen looked up and managed to catch the bottle of water heading in his direction. "Lots of water, that's the cure for a hangover," said Rhys callously. He had not been impressed to arrive home last night to find this man and Gwen had worked their way through his stock of beer – which he had bought ready for the Six Nations - and were on to the wine. He had poured Gwen into bed and left this joker to his own devices.

Owen drank the water and felt marginally better. He remembered the previous evening clearly. Gwen and he had drowned their guilt together, drinking whatever was in the flat. They had called it a wake for Emily but they both knew that was a lie. He had passed out on the couch once Rhys had come in and taken Gwen off to bed. The water was drunk when the smell of bacon and egg frying reached him and his delicate stomach rebelled. By chance, Gwen chose that moment to enter the room, looking a bit green round the gills herself, and immediately pointed him in the direction of the bathroom.

"I suppose you don't want breakfast either," said Rhys, seeing Gwen take water from the fridge and sit at the breakfast bar.

"No. Thanks all the same." She drank thirstily. Rhys reached to the radio but Gwen stopped him. "Do you mind, love?" she said. "My head's pounding."

"Not surprised, the amount you put away last night." He transferred the bacon, egg and fried bread to a plate and brought it to the breakfast bar where he smothered it in brown sauce. Gwen had to look away. "What brought this on then?" Rhys put a forkful of food into his mouth and chewed noisily.

"Just something at work."

Gwen was deliberately vague. How would this man react it she told him that she, Gwen Cooper, had been the prime mover in ensuring a three year old child had been subjected to slow mutation and death? He would be horrified and disgusted with her, she decided, but no more so than she was herself. Everything was her fault. None of the others would have stood up to Jack if she had not led the way. And she had done it to prove a point, that was the saddest thing of all. To prove that she was as good as if not better than the great Captain Jack Harkness who had upped and left them in the lurch. Which is just what she had done the day before. Got up and walked out leaving the rest of them to deal with the mess she had created. From what Owen had told her, before he lost the ability to think or speak coherently, it had been that same Jack Harkness who had picked up the pieces, made the tough decision and sorted the mess. She wanted to hate him but couldn't, she didn't have the right. Owen wandered back into the room, his face pale and waxy.

"Feeling better?" she asked, looking his way.

"A bit." He came closer then saw Rhys stuffing runny egg in his mouth and thought better of it; he wasn't that well. Instead, he sat on the couch again, facing away from the sight if not the smell.

"We'd better get going," said Gwen, looking at her watch. It was after half past eight and traffic would be bad, it always was. "You going back to your place to change?"

"Suppose I'd better." He sniffed loudly. "Make that a definite yes." He levered himself upright. Taking out his wallet he put twenty pounds on the breakfast bar. "This'll help replace all the beer I drank," he said.

"Cheers, mate," said Rhys, snatching the notes before Gwen could give them back.

"I'll need a lift, left my car at the Hub." Gwen got up and kissed Rhys quickly, slipping a low level dose of Retcon in his cup of tea; she was already bearing so much guilt this latest was insignificant. "See you later."

"What time you going to be in?" Rhys asked, picking at a piece of bacon wedged in his teeth. "Want me to cook?"

"Not sure, love. I'll ring you. Bye." She was out of the room and shutting the front door before he could press her any further. She ran to catch up with Owen. They got in the car together and drove off. Neither noticed Rhys watching them with a sad look on his face nor saw him yawning.

-ooOoo-

The news report came up on Ianto's daily search of the local and national newspaper and radio websites. He read it, checked it, printed off a hard copy and then walked into Jack's office. His boss was attempting to write the report on the case of Emily Louise Perkins and not getting very far. Ianto didn't want to make it harder for him but knew that Jack would not want him to keep the news item back.

"You ought to see this," he said, handing over the sheet of paper. He watched as Jack read it.

"Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse," said Jack. He rubbed his eyes. "Check the police records and confirm this. I want all the detail you can get. And don't mention it to the others, not yet."

"Sure. Tosh may find it for herself," Ianto pointed out.

"I'll keep her busy, don't worry." Jack managed a smile and then returned to drafting the report.

Back at his desk, Ianto accessed the police records and started compiling a dossier of information. He was good at this and he needed only half his mind on the job. The other half was going back over the day before, after Tosh and Owen had left. He skated over the part where he and Jack and incinerated Emily's body, that he did not want to relive, going straight to the whisky the two of them had shared. They had sat in the office and downed a measure or two, not enough to get drunk but enough to deaden the pain. They had talked, not a lot but enough for Jack to unload some of the burden and for Ianto to show he supported his boss's actions.

Then Ianto had taken Jack home.

Jack had needed the solace of a warm bed and a warm body to share it. The sex had been good, not as energetic or inventive as it had been in the past, more a coming together of two people who understood one another's needs and were willing and able to satisfy them. They had lain in one another's arms and slept. Coming into the Hub this morning, Ianto had hoped they could look forward to a few uncomplicated operations where the whole team pulled together and battled an easily identifiable enemy. They needed to rebuild trust and self confidence. He should have known it would be a forlorn hope. He turned all his attention back to the dossier he was compiling.

When Toshiko arrived, Jack was ready with a list of things for her to do as a matter of urgency. She knuckled down immediately and had no time to check the news sites. Gwen and Owen arrived around quarter past nine. They greeted Toshiko as they passed her and walked into Jack's office. They had agreed their strategy in the car.

"Jack," began Owen, standing with Gwen in front of the desk, "got a minute?"

"Sure." Jack gestured for them to draw up some chairs and watched as Owen closed the office door. "How are you feeling, Gwen?"

"Better, thanks." Gwen launched into her speech, forgetting the fancy phrases and words she had worked out and just spilling her guts. "Look, I'm sorry. For everything. I'm sorry for running out on you yesterday. I'm sorry for challenging you every time you open your mouth. I'm sorry for getting us all into this mess! Most of all, I'm sorry I left you to clear up my shit. Whatever action you want to take, it's okay by me."

"That goes for me too," added Owen. "I was about as useful as a chocolate teapot. I'm sorry."

"Apologies accepted." He smiled at them and said no more. They looked at him, expecting more but he continued to smile and say nothing.

"That's it? Jack, we ballsed everything up, you can't just forgive us!?" Gwen was incredulous.

"Why not? You both made mistakes, I agree. You've acknowledged those mistakes and, I hope, learnt from them. I don't think there's any punishment I can impose that would make you feel any worse than you do at this moment." He leant forward, forearms on his desk. "Let's put it behind us and move forward. I trust you to do better next time."

"That's very generous of you, Jack. I'll try my best to deserve your trust." Owen stuck out his hand and Jack shook it, amused by the old fashioned gesture and formal words.

"You're the best doctor to have worked for Torchwood, Owen, but even you can't cure everyone." Owen shrugged off the compliment. "Gwen?" Jack could see that the woman had more to say.

"I don't understand you, Jack, and I guess I never will. But I'll work with you, not against you in future. If I get out of line just say 'Emily Louise Perkins' to me." She smiled grimly.

"I don't think I'll ever have to do that. And I want you to challenge me whenever you see me going too far. Because I will and I need you to pull me back, to remind me that we're here to protect people nothing more and nothing less." He stared into her eyes, "You're the heart of this team, Gwen, and it – I - need you."

Gwen couldn't speak, her throat was tight and her eyes pricked with unshed tears. Instead, she nodded and smiled. She deserved a formal reprimand at the very least, maybe even a suspension. To be forgiven showed how secure a leader Jack was and she admired him for his strength of character and courage, just as she had when she had first met him and when he had faced Abaddon. She vowed to remember that in future.

"Are we done?" asked Jack, looking from one to another. When they nodded, he smiled and rose. "Time for the briefing meeting then." He walked out to the work area with them. "Tosh, Ianto, " he got their attention, "meeting in the Conference Room in five."

"I'll make some coffee." Ianto passed a slim folder containing his findings to Jack and went to the coffee machine.

-ooOoo-

"Okay, people. Let's keep this short and sweet, we all have better things to do." The team was assembled in the Conference Room with mugs of Ianto's coffee and large, chewy cookies courtesy of Toshiko. "Tosh, how's the upgrade looking now?"

"Good. It all went more smoothly that I had expected. The main improvements concern security. We can now lock down the lower tunnels and vaults independently of the rest of the Hub. CCTV coverage in the base will be indexed as it's recorded so we'll be able to find specific images and time frames much faster. There is little that affects your interface with the system but I did take the opportunity to address one or two niggles you've mentioned in the past. For example, Owen, the alien bio database will now save all entries on one field alone. Here's a complete list for each of you." She passed A4 sheets to each of them. "If anything on there is not clear or you encounter a problem, let me know."

Jack smiled at her. "Excellent work, Tosh. Well done and thanks, these improvements are just what we need. Gwen, anything?"

"Yes, first I'm sorry about leaving you all to cover for me yesterday. I'll do a couple of extra shifts to make up." The rest of the team smiled their understanding; at one time or another they had all gone AWOL for various reasons. "Second, I haven't had time to check my desk thoroughly but I know the monthly stats for UNIT are due next week." There was a collective groan around the table.

"Not those again!" complained Owen.

"They are monthly, Owen," commented Jack, leaning back in his chair and smiling. "Only four weeks between one lot and the next."

Gwen continued, used to the team's reaction. "They're asking for the usual stuff and I'll do what I can from the records but I shall need your help on some of them. Shouldn't take anyone more than half an hour."

"Always takes longer than that for me," put in Owen.

"That's because your records are a mess," said Ianto dryly.

"It's got to be done, people, so just be ready when Gwen asks you." He turned to her, "Let me know when you want to go through them with me. Ianto?"

"I don't have anything." He could have raised a couple of issues but, knowing what Jack was going to say, he decided to leave them for another time.

"Owen, I know you want to update us on your visit to Emily Perkins's parents yesterday. Before you do, there's something I want to share with you all." Jack paused until he was sure he had their attention. "At four ten this morning shots were heard from the Perkins home. The police who attended found Carol Perkins dead in her bed, shot once through the head. Simon Perkins was found in Emily's bedroom. He'd shot himself in the left temple."

"Oh no," breathed Gwen, her face pale.

"Shit!" said Owen.

Toshiko put her hand to her mouth and bowed her head. Ianto remained stoic, he already knew what Jack was going to say. It was all in the dossier Ianto had prepared that morning. Jack spoke again.

"The police theory is that Simon Perkins killed his wife and then himself while the balance of his mind was disturbed following the death of their daughter. This is supported by one additional fact, Carol Perkins had a knitting needle thrust through her heart. Strange one that. The GP, a Peter Clarke, has already confirmed that Mr Perkins was distraught and in a highly disturbed state when he saw them both yesterday evening. The doctor had prescribed strong sedatives but the police found them in the kitchen untouched. Clarke didn't know there was a gun in the house, if he had he may well have taken more precautions. Seems Simon Perkins had been in the Army and kept a handgun as a souvenir. The police are satisfied that this is what happened and with the reasons why. They are not looking to take it any further."

Jack looked round at each member of the team in turn as he said, "This could not have been foreseen and it is not our fault. I do not want any of you – especially you, Gwen, or you, Owen – to assume you could have prevented it. You couldn't. If Emily had died in any other way it's highly likely her father would have done the self same thing. It's a tragedy, yes, but not one of our making."

In the ensuring silence, Owen started to laugh. A mirthless laugh that he cut off quickly when he saw everyone staring at him. "Sorry," he said, "it's just the knitting needle. When I went there yesterday that woman was sitting knitting, calm as you like. Didn't stop when we told her Emily had died or when her husband broke down. She just coolly asked when we would release the body. I thought of poking her through the eye with one of those bloody knitting needles. Seems I wasn't the only one." No one said anything for a moment.

"Is there any other family?" asked Toshiko.

Jack looked through the papers in front of him. "Simon Perkins has a brother, lives in Australia, and Carol Perkins, a mother who's in a care home. She has advanced Alzheimer's. The police are in the process of contacting the brother."

"It's such a pity, such a waste," commented Toshiko. Family meant a lot to her and she mourned for the loss of this one. A family had been destroyed by the Javockolia just because a little girl liked to play in the sandpit. That reminded her of something and she turned to Gwen. "Gwen, did we ever find any other children that had been infected?"

"No, thank God. I followed up on the kids in the playground and checked with the hospitals. None have been found."

Jack looked round and decided to move them on, to get them focussing on other things. "Okay. Let's move on from this. We've all learnt from it and we'll never forget it but there's nothing to be gained from 'what ifs'. Owen, I'm still awaiting your assessment of the new Weevil spray. Gwen, get onto those UNIT stats. Tosh, I need the stuff I gave you this morning as soon as possible. Ianto, if you need a hand feeding the inmates downstairs let me know." He looked round once more. "Meeting over."

-ooOoo-

As the day progressed, the team gradually picked up speed and interest in the mundane tasks allotted to them. Tosh and Owen responded to a minor Rift alert, collecting a lozenge shaped artefact that was passed round at lunch. No one had any clue what it was and they came up with some wild and eccentric ideas that had them all laughing.

Jack helped Ianto feed the Weevils during the afternoon. Both men were relaxed and comfortable with one another again. Jack recognised that he still had a lot of work to do to fully win back Ianto's trust but he was over the first hurdle. Time, a few more evenings together at a restaurant or the movies, and they would have bridged the gap completely. Maybe then the horror of The Master would fade even further into the dark recesses of his mind to join all the others demons lurking there and he would be able to get on with his life. He was not going to mess up again. Before they returned to the main Hub, Jack took Ianto into a corner of the tunnels not covered by CCTV. When they emerged half an hour later both men were dishevelled and looking pleased with themselves.

Around six o'clock, Jack looked through his office window and saw his team working together. Ianto and Toshiko had their heads together puzzling over the lozenge and Owen and Gwen were at the doctor's desk going through the UNIT stats. They had put the mistakes behind them, they were a good team, the best. Jack put the folder containing his report on Emily Louise Perkins in his out-tray ready for Ianto to collect, enter into the database and file. She was dead but the little girl would not be forgotten. Through her, they had all seen the dark places in their souls and were the stronger and better for it.

Jack stood, grabbed his greatcoat and strode out his office. "Enough work," he announced, getting their attention. "Stick the Rift monitor on remote and let's go to the pub; I'm buying."

That night two burglars broke into the home of Michael and Beth Halloran.

* * *

_And that's the end of the story. I hope you enjoyed it, and many thanks for the reviews. _


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